Decorating machine



Sept. 4, 1945.

P. WENSEL ETAL DECORATING MACHINES Filed April 28, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet l swuilnfow Raye il nsel HL. Whisper R11. Ru qh 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 P. WENSEL ETAL DECORATING MACHINES Filed April 2a, 1943 Sept. 4, 1945.

Sept. 4, 1945. P. WENSEL ETAL DECORATING MACHINES Filed April 28, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 5 8 NW 3 m 6 4 m a W 9 n O 6 I 6 n a a i j i o 6 Qwuwwbou Page Wense! 11L. Whc'sner R.

Patented Sept. 4, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DECORATING MACHINE Application April 28. 1943, Serial No. 484,802

13 Claims.

Our invention. relates to decorating machines of the screen type in which the decorating material is applied to the articles through a screen. The invention is adapted for applying lettering or ornamental designs, to bottles, Jars, and various other articles.

An object of the invention is to provide a practical machine for applying decorations simultaneously to the opposite sides of flat bottles, jars, and other articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus adapted for decorating bottles or other articles while being held in an upright position.

Our invention provides a decorating apparatus of the screen type for decorating flat bottles or the like, while in an upright position and for applying the decorations or designs during both the upward and downward movements of the squeegees. an object of the invention being to thereby overcome practical difficulties which have been encountered in the use of apparatus in which the squeegees are operative while moving in one direction only.

Other objects of the inafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a decorating machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation at the line 2-2 on Fig. i.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation at the line 8-3 on Fig. i.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view at the line l-l on Fig. i.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a section at the line 6-8 on Fig. 1, showing the cams for retracting the squeegees.

Fig. '7 is a section at the line ll on Fig, 1.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary part-sectional elevation showing the piston motor for swinging the screen frames and the valve mechanism for controlling said motor and other parts.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the rotary valve controlling the piston motors for lifting and lowering the squeegees.

Fig. 10 is a view of the foot pedal and valves operated thereby.

The machine as shown, is mounted on a frame H and includes a vertical standard l2 of channel-shape in cross section (Fig. 4), to the upper and lower ends of which are respectively attached. cross bars II and It. A pair of upright frames ll (Fig. 4) serve as swinging carriers for the decorating screens IS, the frames being spaced invention will appear hereapart to receive therebetween the bottles I! or other articles which are to be decorated.

The frames I! are carried on vertical pivot rods l8, rotatively mounted for swingin the frames about the axes of said rods. Each of the swinging frames II comprises a pair of vertical rods 24 and horizontal frame members or bars 26 and 26 connected respectively to the upper and lower ends of the rods 24. The upper frame bars 25 are welded or otherwise rigidly secured at their inner ends to the upper ends of the hinge rods ID Figs. 1 and 3). The bar 25 have ball bearing connections I! with stud shafts 20 in vertical alignment with the rods ll. Said stud shafts are mounted in slide blocks 2i which are slldable in guideways in the stationary frame member I! for horizontal adjustment. Means for adjusting the slide blocks and stud shafts comprises an adjusting rod 22 having right and left-hand screw thread connections with the blocks 2! and provided with an adjusting knob 23. Mechanisms substantially similar to that just described and illustrated in Fig. 3 are also provided at the lower ends of the swinging frames ll.

Means for swinging the frames II toward and from each other comprises an air-operated piston motor 21 (Figs. 1, 4 and 8), mounted on an arm 21* on the standard 1!. The motor includes a piston II and a piston rod 29. A crosshead 30 attached to the other end of the piston rod, is operatively connected to a pair of rock arms Ii by means of pins I2 carrying squared heads 33 I slidable in a slot a formed in the crosshead to.

The outer ends of the arms 3| are fixed to the hinge rods II by means of collars 38 formed on said arms and keyed to the rods ll.

The motor piston 18 is moved in a forward or outward direction by a coil spring 88 and operates through the arms II to swing the screen carriers it apart to permit the placing of a bottle I! or other article between the decorating screens. The piston is moved inwardly for swinging the frames l6 and decorating screens to operative position,

b air pressure admitted to the forward end of the cylinder as hereinafter described.

The screens ii are attached to screen frames 37 secured to the swinging frames ll.

Squeegees 3| are adapted to be swung inwardly against the screens and to be moved up and down while bearing against the screens for transferring the lettering or other perforate designs in the screens to the bottles il in a well-known manner. Each squeegee 38 is removably mounted in a rock. arm I9 secured to a horizontal rock shaft 40 mounted for rocking movement on a. carriage II. The carriages ii are mounted for up-anddown sliding movement on the frames II and for this purpose are formed with bearing sleeves 62 slidably mounted on the rods 24.

The squeegees are held with a yielding pressure against the screens during the decorating operations by coil springs 0, each carried on a rod 44 having at its inner end a rocking connection 45 (Fig. 'l) with the carriage 4|. The spring is held under compression between the rock arm 39 and a knob II on the rod 44. While the squeegees are in their lowered position, they are held out of contact with the-screen by stationary cams 41 positioned and arranged to engage rolls on the lower ends of rock arms it fixed to and depending from the rock shafts Ill. The squeegees are also swung to a retracted position as they approach the limit of their upward movement, by stationary cams 40.

The squeegee carriages II are moved up and down by a pair of piston motors ill mounted on the upper ends of the swinging frames l5. Each motor 50 includes a vertically reciprocating iston and a piston rod Ii, the latter being attached to the carriage H.

The squeegees operate during each upward movement of the carriages to decorate the two sides of a bottle l1 and to decorate the sides of a succeeding bottle during their downward movement. The inking or coloring material is placed in containers or pans 52 carried at the lower ends of the swinging frames it. As a squeegee swings into contact with its screen, it carries with it a supply of the coloring material which, as the squeegee moves upward, is carried upward- 1y therewith ahead of the squeegee. When a squeegee is withdrawn from the screen as it completes its upward movement, the coloring material commences to run down the screen so that when the squeegee commences its downward movement, there is a supply of the ink or coloring material therebelow in position to be carried downward by the squeegee. In this manner an adequate supply of the coloring material is always maintained in advance of the squeegee.

While the frames ll are swung apart, a bottle '1 is placed on a bottom support it (Fig. 2). A centering chuck it is then lowered to engage the mouth of the bottle and hold it in a fixed position during the decorating operation. The chuck is operated by an air motor 55 comprising a vertically reciprocating piston 86 and piston rod connected to the chuck. The piston is low- :r'ed by air pressure and lifted by a coil spring The operations of the several air motors, including the motor 21 for swinging the carrier frames Ii, the motors ill for moving the squeegees up and down, and the chuck-operating motor 55, are under the control of an air-operated master control valve III. the operation of which is under the control of a foot pedal Bl. The foot pedal is mounted to swing on a pivot 82 for operating valves 83 and M (Fig. mounted in a valve casing 85. Air under pressure is supplied through a pipe ll (Fig. 1) which opens into the valve chamber 81 (Fig, 10) of valve 83. When the foot pedal is depressed, the valve 53 is opened to supply air under pressure to a pipe 68 extending to the valve ill. ,The pedal when depressed also permits the valve M to close. When the pedal is released it is lifted by a coil spring 69 and permits the valve 83 to close, thereby cutting off the air pressure supply through the pipe 68, and

at the same time opens the valve 84 and thus opens the pipe I! to an exhaust port 10.

Air under pressure for operating the piston motors 21 and 8!. is supplied through an air pressure pipe 1i leading to the valve 80. The air for operating the motor 21 is supplied through the valve Ill to a pipe 12 extending to the inner end of the motor 21. An air pressure line 13 leads from the valve 60 to the chuck-operating motor 55. The motors lili, for lifting and lowering the squeegees, are under the control of a. rotary valve 14 (Fig. 9) in valve box 15, the valve being actuated by the piston 18 of the valve fill which functions as a piston motor '1 or this purpose. The valve piston 16 is connected through a link 11 to a rock arm 18 mounted to rock on a shaft I! to which the rotary valve is keyed. The rock arm 18 carries a dog Ill for operating a ratchet wheel ll on the valve shaft 19.

When air pressure is supplied through a pipe 68 to the motor valve Oil, the piston 16 operates through the dog and ratchet to rotate the valve 14 forward one step. When the air pressure is released. the rock arm 18 and piston 18 are returned by means of a coil spring 82 (Figs. 2 and 8) on the shaft 19. An air pressure pipe 83 leads to the valve 14 from a continuous source of air pressure. Pipes 4 and I! lead from the valve 14 to the upper and lower ends respectively of the motor ill, the pipe ll including branch pipes ll, and the pipe including branch pipes 85- extending to the motor cylinders.

When the rotary valve is in the position shown in Fig. 9, the pipe 84 is in communication with the air pressure line It through a. port 86, so that air is supplied to the upper end of the motors ill and lowers the squeegees. The pipe 88 is at this time in communication with an exhaust port 81. when the valve is rotated one step, the pressure line II is connected to the pipe 85 and the exhaust port 31 cut oi! so that air pressure is supplied to the lower ends of the cylinder motors 60 for lifting the squeegees. At the same time the pipe 84 is opened to an exhaust port 88. The next succeeding step rotation of the valve again reverses the connections, thereby causing the squeegees to be lowered.

Referring now to Fig. 8 and assuming that the valve piston 1! has been moved to the left. pressure supplied through the pipe Bl will move the valve piston forward. This operates first to open the pipe 13 to the air pressure line H so that the motor 55 operates to lower the chuck 54. Continued forward movement of the valve piston 18 then connects the pipe 12 with the air pressure line H so that the motor 21 is operated to swing the frames ii and screens inwardly to operative position. During the final movement of the valve piston 16, the rotary valve is brought to position to operate the motors ill for lifting the squeegee carriages.

These operations of the several piston motors take place while the foot pedal ii is held deressed. When the operator releases the pedal, thereby cutting oil the air pressure through pipe 88 and. opening it to atmosphere, the valve piston 16 is returned by the spring l2 and operates; first to cut of! the air pressure through pipe 12 to the motor 21, and opening it to an exhaust port 89 so that motor 21 is operated by its spring 36 to swing the screen carrying frames l5 apart. The pressure is next cut at! from the pipe 13 and the latter is opened to the exhaust. so that the motor 55 is operated by its spring 51 to lift the th squeegees are moved upward to: one article and downward for the next.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. Decorating apparatus comprising a pair cl upright screen carriers, screens mounted on said carriers in upright position and in horizontallyspaced relation, means for mounting said carriers for swinging movement about vertical axes, a holding device for holding a work-piece centered between the screens. squeegees individual to the screens. carriages on which'the squeegees are mounted. said carriages being mounted for verticai sliding movement on the screen carriers, and piston motors mounted on said carriers and comprising vertical piston rods directly connected to the said carriages for moving the carriages up and down.

2. Decorating apparatus comprising a pair of upright screen carriers. screens mounted on said carriers in upright position and in horizontallyspaced relation. means for mounting said carriers for swinging movement about vertical cites, a holding device for holding a work-piece centered between the screens, squeegees individual to the screens, carriages on which the squeegees are mounted. said carriages being mounted for vertical sliding movement on the screen carriers, and piston motor mounted on said carriers and comprising vertical piston rods directly connected to the said carriages for moving the carriages up and down. means for causing the squeegees to bear against the screens during their upenddown movements, and automatic means for retractin'g the queegees as they approach the limits of their up-and-down movements.

3. Decorating apparatus comprising a pair of upright screen carriers, screens mounted on said carriers in upright position and in horizontallyspaced relation, means for mounting said carriers [or swinging movement about vertical axes, a holding device for holding a work-piece centered between the screens. squeegees individual to the screens, carriages on which the squeegees are mounted, a motor operatively connected to said vertically-disposed horizontally-spaced screen carrier frames. upright scre'ens mounted on said frames. said ire-mes, being mounted for move ment toward and from each other for moving the screens to and from operative position with re-' speot to articles supported therebetween, vertical piston motors individual to and mounted on said carrier fIM-TICS. squeegee 681118885 mounted for up-and-down sliding movement on said carrier frames, squeegees mounted on the carriages to travel up and down their width, and movable thereon toward and from the screens, said carriage being operatively connected to the motor pistons. the means for mounting said frames comprising verticai pivots, and means for adjusting the pivots horizontally toward and from each other and thereby adjusting the spacing between the screens.

6. Decorating apparatus comprising a pair of m vertically-disposed horizontally-Spaced .1" travel up and down their width, and movable thereon toward and from the screens. said carriagegbeing operatively connected to the motor pistons. the means for mounting said frames comprising vertical pivots. a piston motor for moving the squeegee carriage up and down, a piston motor operativeiy connected to said carrier frames for swinging them about their pivots. a chuck for hoidin'g'a work-piece in position between the screens, a piston motor for operating 40 the chuck, a master control valve operable to carriers for swinging them about their vertical axes, a motor connected to operate said holding device. a motor operatively connected to said carriages, and manually controlled means for.

causing the motors to operate automaticallyin a predetermined order.

4. Decorating apparatus comprising, in combination. decorating screens, vertically disposed screen carrier frames on which the screens are -mounted in upright position and spaced horizontally in parallel relation, means for mounting said carrier frames for swinging movement about vertical pivots and thereby swinging the screen frames to and from an operative position, carriages mounted for slidin movements on said frames. squeegees supported on said carriages,

means for holding the squeegees with a yielding fill eiiect the operations of said piston motors in a. predetermined order. and manual means for eiiectlng the operation of said control valve.

7. Decorating apparatus comprising upright screen carrier frames. upright screens carried by said frames, squeegee carriages mounted for upand-down movement on said frames. soueegees on said carriages. vertical piston motors mounted on said frames and comprising pistons connected to said carriages. a rotary valve, iiuid pressure lines extending from said valve to the opposite ends respectively of the piston motors. means for rotating said valve step by step, and means controlled by the valve to supply fluid under pressure to said lines in alternation.

8. Decorating apparatus comprising, in comblnation. screens, screen carrier frames on which the screens are mounted in upright position and in horizontally-spaced relation, a support positioned to hold a work-piece between said screens, means for moving the screen carrier frames and screens toward and from the work-piece. squeegee carriages mounted on said frames for upanddown movement. squeegees on said carriages, piston motors mounted on said frames and having vertical pistons connected to the squeegee carriages for moving the Squeegee up and down, and mean for holding the squeegees against the screens and causing the screens to bear against the work-piece during both the up movements and the down movem nts of the Squeegees.

9. Decorating apparatus comprising, in combination, screens, screen carrier frames on which the screens are mounted in upright position and in horizontally-spaced relation, a support positioned to hold a work-piece between said screens, means for moving saidframes toward and from each other and thereby moving the screens toward and from the work-piece. squeegee carriages on said frames, squeegees on the carriages. means for holding the squeegee: in contact with the screens, piston motors mounted on said'irames and having vertical pistons connected to the carrlages for moving the squeegees up and down while in'contact with the screenmand automatic means for swinging the squeegees away from the screens as they approach the limits of their upand-down movements.

10. Decorating apparatus comprising, in combinatlon, decorating screens, vertically disposed screen carrier frames on which the screens are mounted in upright position and spaced hormontally in parallel relation, means for mounting said carrier framesvfor swinging movement about vertical ivots and thereby swinging the screen frames to and from an operative position, said means comprising vertical pivot rods tixed to said frames, a piston motor comprising a horizontal piston rod reciprocahle horizontally in a vertical plane between said frames, rock arms fixed to said pivot rods, and means connectin the motor piston with said rock arms ior swinging the carrier frames;

11. Decorating apparatus comprising a pair of vertically-disposed horizontally-spaced screen carrier frames. upright screens mounted on said frames, said frames being mounted for movement toward and from each other for moving the screens to and from operative, position with re spect to articles upported-therebetween. vertical piston motors individual to said carrier frames and having fixed mounting thereon. squeegee carriages mounted for up-and-down movement on assess? said irames. squeegees on said carriages, said motors comprising vertically reciprocating piston rods, and means providing fixed connections be tween the motor pistons and said squeegee carrinses.

" 12. Decorating apparatus comprising upright screen carrier frames mounted for movement toward and from each other. upright screens carried by said frameasqueegee carriages mounted for up-and-down movementson said frames. squeegees on-said carriages, verdzical piston motors mounted on saidi'rames for movement therewith and comprising pistons connected to said carriages, a valve. fluid pressure lines extending from said valve to the opposim ends oi the motor cylinders, means comprising a piston motor {or moving the screen carrier frames toward and from each other, a control valve for said last mentioned motor, and manually controlled means jor actuating saidvaives in succession and thereby causing the first mentioned motors to operate in alternation with the last mentioned motor.

13. Decorating apparatus comprising a support for a work-piece. a screen carrier frame, a decorating screen oarrled by said frame, a fluid-operated motor connected to said frame tor moving the screen toward and from the work-piece. a squeegee carriage mounted for movement on said frame, a squeegee on said carriage. a second fluidoperated' motor connected to the said carriage, 1

a motor valve, means actuated thereby for controlling the operation of said motors. and a manual device for effecting the operation of said motor valve.

PAGE WENSEL. HARRY 1i wrnsnaa. ROBERT H. RUGH. 

